After reminding the people of Zarahemla that their parents’ hearts had been changed by the preaching of his father and asking them whether they had experienced a similar change of hearts, Alma pivoted to a more immediate question:
If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
Alma 5:26
Elder Dale G. Renlund, a former cardiologist who specialized in heart transplants, explained that when a new heart is physically placed into a person’s body, it is viewed by the body as a foreign object. The patient must take medications to suppress the body’s natural response to reject this new organ. Sadly, he observed, “some patients become casual with their transplanted hearts. They skip their medicines here and there and obtain the needed follow-up less frequently than they should. They think that because they feel good, all is well. Too often this shortsighted attitude puts the patients at risk and shortens their lives” (“Preserving the Heart’s Mighty Change,” General Conference, October 2009).
The message for us is clear. As our hearts are spiritually changed, many forces in our lives will work to reject the new heart. We must be vigilant in doing the small things that keep our hearts healthy. We must avoid the fallacy that, because we feel good, all is well. Elder Renlund spoke of a time during his medical training when he realized that his heart was not as committed as it had been previously, that he was drifting from God. “The problem,” he said, “was that I was not doing the basic things I needed to do to keep my mightily changed heart from turning to stone.” He resolved to pray twice daily, to study the scriptures every day, however briefly, and to attend church whenever possible, even if he couldn’t attend the entire meeting. These small changes made a difference: “Over the course of a few weeks, the zeal returned and the fire of testimony burned fiercely again. I promised to never again fall into the spiritual death trap of being casual about these seemingly small actions and thereby jeopardizing things of an eternal nature, regardless of circumstances” (“Preserving the Heart’s Mighty Change,” General Conference, October 2009).
Today, I will consider the state of my spiritual heart. I will recommit to engage in spiritual practices, knowing that even when I’m feeling good, my heart needs to be nourished and protected.
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